Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Their happy, romantic honeymoon had turned into a brutal death game. That alone was tragic enough. Worse still, Lv Chao had drawn number 1.
As the Featured Player in the first contest, he was under tremendous pressure.
Lv Chao sat on the bed in the couple’s suite, hands clasped and brow deeply furrowed.
Before six that evening, he had to tell Tina which event he had chosen. But he had already spent an hour racking his brain without finding anything that gave him a clear advantage.
Lu Qian was just as anxious, but she tried not to show it. She did not want to make her husband even more agitated. Thoughtful as always, she understood that she needed to steady him and help him remain calm, not add to his pressure.
But an hour passed. Noon was approaching, and Lv Chao’s brow remained knitted. Clearly, he could not think of anything he excelled at. Lu Qian finally lost patience with the silence. She sat beside him, took his hand, and asked, “Chao, you still haven’t chosen an event for tomorrow?”
Lv Chao nodded worriedly.
“You graduated from a sports university. Athletics are your advantage. Why not choose the sport you’re best at?”
Lv Chao sighed. “I majored in physical education. The program mainly trains gym teachers for elementary and middle schools. I studied a little of everything: soccer, volleyball, basketball, badminton, table tennis, swimming, aerobics, and all kinds of other stuff. But I never mastered any one sport. Have you ever met a school gym teacher who’s an elite athlete? If someone were exceptional at a sport, a provincial or national team would recruit them as a professional. Why would they become a teacher?”
“But you still graduated from a sports university, and you’re fitter than the average person. At least you’re stronger than most ordinary people. Choosing the sport you’re best at must give you the highest chance of winning.”
Lv Chao shook his head. “Not necessarily. Plenty of ordinary people have hidden talents. Almost everyone born in the 1990s or 2000s learned one or two special skills growing up. Most of my classmates and friends trained in at least one sport as a hobby, and some did it for more than ten years. They’re almost as good as professionals.
“I’m Contestant 1, which means I have the most opponents. Excluding you, there are nineteen. Most of them are young. I don’t have a standout sport, so if I choose something one of them is also good at, I’m dead.”
Lu Qian’s heart sank as she listened, but she forced herself to stay calm. “Forget about all that for a moment. Chao, tell me which sport you’re best at.”
Lv Chao thought. “Relatively speaking, badminton.”
The moment he said it, his expression fell. “But I don’t dare choose that. Everyone plays badminton, young and old, men and women. Plenty of people who aren’t professionals are excellent at it.”
“That’s true…” Lu Qian frowned. Even she knew how to play despite disliking sports. When she was little, her father often took her to a nearby park to play badminton for exercise.
“There’s another problem. How would I compete against nineteen people?” Lv Chao asked. “Take badminton. Even if I’m the best player here, I have to beat everyone under the rules. I can’t be sure I could do that in the first place. But if all nineteen take turns against me in a gauntlet match, even the fittest person would run out of stamina. No matter how well I play, I’d eventually lose.”
Lu Qian could see her husband’s anxiety. As his new wife, she was every bit as frightened as he was. But if she also panicked, if they both sank into agitation and terror, they would lose the psychological battle before the contest even began.
She racked her brain. “What about rock climbing? You were a climbing instructor. You told me you could finish even route D, the hardest one in the sports park.”
Lv Chao smiled bitterly. “That so-called climbing instructor job only required two weeks of training. Any strong, healthy man could do it. The park’s ‘rock walls’ are ultimately just entertainment and a challenge for amateurs. They’re nothing like real outdoor climbing. Yes, I can finish route D, but I saw plenty of other young men do it while I worked there. Anyone fit enough could manage it.”
“I see…” Lu Qian’s spirits fell, and this time her face betrayed her. Seeing his wife’s dejection made Lv Chao even gloomier. He began to complain.
“There are so many tourist destinations in the world. Why did we have to choose this godforsaken Xiangji Island? If we were in Sanya, Bali, or Mauritius right now, we’d be having an incredible time instead of dealing with this!”
“Chao, are you blaming me? I was the one who suggested Xiangji Island…” Lu Qian said sadly.
Lv Chao realized he had indirectly blamed his wife and immediately corrected himself. “No, that’s not what I meant. Who could have imagined something like this? It isn’t your fault.”
Lu Qian rested her head on his shoulder and wrapped both arms around him. “Don’t panic. You still have the entire afternoon to think. Let’s go to the restaurant and eat first.”
“I have no appetite. You go.”
“No matter what happens, you still need to eat…”
“Qian, I really can’t. Let me be alone for a while.”
Lu Qian understood. In his place, she would not have been able to eat either. She said no more and left the room alone.
At two in the afternoon, she returned. She clearly had done more than eat. She had found somewhere quiet and thought the problem through. Her face now glowed with excitement. She had obviously come up with an idea.
“Chao, you still haven’t chosen tomorrow’s event?”
“No,” Lv Chao said dejectedly.
“I’ve thought of something for you.”
“What? What is it?”
Lu Qian leaned close and whispered in her husband’s ear for several minutes. When she finished, he looked uncertain. “Will that really work?”
“I can’t think of anything better. Can you?”
“I’ve been thinking for three hours, and my head hurts. I doubt I’ll come up with a better idea.”
“Then let’s use mine. It’s risky, but of all the possible events I can think of, this gives you the best chance of winning,” Lu Qian said. “And we still have the whole afternoon and tonight to consider every possible scenario and work out how to respond. That will improve your chances enormously.”
“All right. I’ll trust you.” Confidence suddenly returned to Lv Chao. He put an arm around Lu Qian’s shoulders. “Marrying such a smart wife was the greatest stroke of luck in my life.”
Lu Qian smiled. “Are you hungry now? I’ll go eat with you.”
“Didn’t you just eat?”
“It doesn’t matter. I can have a little more and keep you company.”
Lv Chao was touched. “You’re an amazing wife. Qian, I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Hand in hand, the newlyweds left their room.
After a hearty meal at the restaurant, Lv Chao found Tina in the lobby. When she saw him, she asked, “Mr. Lv Chao, have you chosen tomorrow’s event?”
“Yes.” Lv Chao looked around to make sure no one else was nearby. Then he sat beside Tina, leaned close to her ear, and whispered his choice.
“Oh, that? I understand. It sounds exciting! Get plenty of rest tonight so you’ll have all your energy for tomorrow’s contest. Mr. Lv Chao, ganbatte!”
Tina excitedly raised a clenched fist to cheer him on. She seemed full of anticipation for the first contest the next day.